I think we can agree that crossing the border without proper documentation is illegal. And it seems reasonable to me that illegal immigrants in the USA who are employed are receving pay for work that could otherwise be done by US citizens or legal workers. |inline Read more
1 Peter 5:5b-7 contains a thought that Peter found very useful for his pastoral exhortations: be humble. But, Peter is not a pragmatist about it. So much of ethics today is pragmatic, and lots of preaching gets so pragmatic: do this, and you’ll find yourself more happy! Hooey! |inline Read more
My hair has been, well, what’s the best way to put it? — how about uncooperative of late. It sticks up and flies around like its got a mind of its own. Knowing I have a TV interview tomorrow about the DaVinci Code that will be aired someday, Kris insisted that I go today for my four-times-a-year whether-I-need-it-or-not haircut. |inline Read more
As I indicated in the first post, the best way to deal with the news about the Gospel of Judas is to read it, reflect on it, and then evaluate the claims being made. Today we look at the second scene in the GJ. Big idea: cryptically, the GJ rejects the legitimacy of the orthodox party [those who shaped the Nicene Creed and the 27-book canon of the NT]. |inline Read more
Early in chp 5 of The Faces of Forgiveness, LeRon Shults states this: “believers are called to face one another in a way that manifests grace as they are faced by the gracious face of God” (169). And he sees forgiveness manifested in the three major relations: faith, love, and hope. For each section, he deals with similar themes: anxiety, the centrality of Jesus Christ, and the importance of the sacramental community. Here is the question to ask: Since forgiveness... Read more
What about the youth? Peter says this: “Young men, in the same way be submissive to those are older” (5:5a). Who are these youth? Here are some options: |inline Read more
When Bob Smietana, an editor at Covenant Companion, suggested I’d like blogging, I asked him what a “blog” was. No kidding, I had no idea. We were having coffee at Tre Kronor, and he explained how to get it going at blogger.com. So, I walked down the street, over the bridge, up the stairs, and into my office — and in about five minutes, I had a blog. That was one year ago this week. I learned what a blog... Read more
“The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot…” — this is how The Gospel of Judas [GJ] begins. Jesus, GJ tells us, did great wonders and spoke about mysteries and was sometimes “appeared” to them “as a child”. This is the language of docetism, for Jesus only looked like a human but the fleshy body was not like others’ bodies. Then comes Scene I: |inline Read more
We have never done a very good job of maintaing the proper balance between lay-level spiritual gifts and cleric-level pastoral leadership. Some fight pastors as having too much authority, while some pastors fight too much strength in the laity. Peter seems to know this issue. |inline Read more
Carmen Butcher, in her elegantly written little book on the life of St. Benedict, Man of Blessing, traces the life and beliefs of St. Benedict. Last summer Kris and I visited his birth church (in Nursia) and had a memorable experience about which I write in Praying with the Church. I was happy to see Carmen Butcher’s new book on Benedict come out because I wanted a little life of Benedict. If you are looking for a readable life of... Read more
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